Mexico judges rule that Frenchwoman not be freed

Lawyer Ema Calvo, 50, center, holds a banner that reads in Spanish; "French kidnapper and murderess," protesting the possible release of imprisoned French woman Florence Cassez, in front of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. She is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
— AP

Lawyer Ema Calvo, 50, center, holds a banner that reads in Spanish; "French kidnapper and murderess," protesting the possible release of imprisoned French woman Florence Cassez, in front of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. She is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
/ AP

Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice Arturo Zaldivar attends a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)— AP

Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice Arturo Zaldivar attends a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
/ AP

Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice Jose Ramon Cossio Diaz attends a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)— AP

Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice Jose Ramon Cossio Diaz attends a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico City, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez, a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
/ AP

Mexico's National Human Rights Award 2010 recipient and Mexico's City Mayor candidate for the National Action Party, PAN, Isabel Miranda de Wallace, right, followed by victim of kidnapping Cristina Rios, attend a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez , a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)— AP

Mexico's National Human Rights Award 2010 recipient and Mexico's City Mayor candidate for the National Action Party, PAN, Isabel Miranda de Wallace, right, followed by victim of kidnapping Cristina Rios, attend a meeting of a Supreme Court panel in Mexico, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The panel voted not to free Florence Cassez , a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
/ AP

Lawyer Ema Calvo, 50, center, holds a banner that reads in Spanish; "French kidnapper and murderess," protesting the possible release of imprisoned French woman Florence Cassez, as an unidentified man shouts in the favor of her release, in front of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. She is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)— AP

Lawyer Ema Calvo, 50, center, holds a banner that reads in Spanish; "French kidnapper and murderess," protesting the possible release of imprisoned French woman Florence Cassez, as an unidentified man shouts in the favor of her release, in front of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. She is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
/ AP

A panel of supreme court justices deliberate the fate of French woman Florence Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The five judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar, pictured in center, facing camera, to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. Cassez is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)— AP

A panel of supreme court justices deliberate the fate of French woman Florence Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The five judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar, pictured in center, facing camera, to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. Cassez is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
/ AP

Enrique Gomez Velazquez, 40, who declares himself a defender of social causes and calls himself "Super Mexico," holds a dry erase board with a message that reads in Spanish; "Justice for Florence Cassez Crepin, innocent," at the entrance of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. Cassez is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)— AP

Enrique Gomez Velazquez, 40, who declares himself a defender of social causes and calls himself "Super Mexico," holds a dry erase board with a message that reads in Spanish; "Justice for Florence Cassez Crepin, innocent," at the entrance of Mexico's Supreme Court building, where a panel of five justices deliberate the fate of Cassez, whose kidnapping conviction caused international friction and prompted a national debate about the country's troubled legal system, in Mexico City, Wednesday March 21, 2012. The supreme court judges will consider a proposal by fellow justice Arturo Zaldivar to free Cassez because of the inappropriate handling of her case in 2005. Cassez is serving a 60-year sentence. (AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)
/ AP

MEXICO CITY 
A Supreme Court panel voted Wednesday not to free a Frenchwoman who says she was unjustly sentenced to 60 years in prison for kidnapping in a case that has put Mexico's troubled justice system on trial and become a cause celebre in France.

The case of Florence Cassez has strained relations between the countries and it is also the center of a vigorous debate between Mexicans who say she was abused by the criminal justice system and those who say setting her free would only reinforce a sense that crimes such as kidnapping go unpunished.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has repeatedly called for Cassez to be freed, while Mexican President Felipe Calderon has urged the court panel to uphold justice for victims.

The justices on Wednesday voted 3-2 against freeing her but four also said there were violations to her rights and that the case needs to be reviewed. A new judge will now have to present a proposal that considers what effects those violations had on her case. That will be voted on by a panel of five judges.

Cassez's father, Bernard Cassez, called the decision a "great deception" because he thought his daughter was going to be released on Wednesday.

But her lawyer, Agustin Acosta, said it was "a great step to have the justice system recognize that the case has not been fair, that there were very grave violations."

Cassez was arrested in 2005 and convicted of helping a kidnapping gang allegedly led by her Mexican then-boyfriend. She lived at a compound near Mexico City where kidnapping victims were held, but she has said she was simply dating the man in the case and did not know the victims were being held there.

At least one victim identified her as one of the kidnappers, though only by her voice, not by sight.

Cassez was originally sentenced in 2008 to 96 years in prison for four kidnappings. The sentence was reduced to 70 years a year later when she was acquitted of one of the charges.

Early last year, a court rejected a plea to dismiss the charges and confirmed the 60-year sentence.

Cassez's imprisonment became a hotly debated issue in France after Mexican police acknowledged that they staged a televised raid of the ranch in which officers appeared to rescue the hostages and detain Cassez. The Attorney General's Office acknowledged that, in fact, Cassez had been arrested the day before outside the ranch.

Police later acknowledged they were dressed in civilian clothing and were let into the ranch by Israel Vallarta, Cassez's ex-boyfriend who was also arrested. His case is still being decided in the courts.

Mexican police hauled Cassez back to the ranch and forced her to participate in their staging of the raid for television cameras, a sort of media display that is not unusual in Mexico.

Supreme Court judge Arturo Zaldivar cited that incident and other irregularities when he proposed this month that Cassez should be set free. He said police also were late in allowing her access to the French consul.